In an essay entitled “Black Women Ugly? Says Who?” ESPN.com columnist LZ Granderson presents an excellent counter argument founded on a lot more than BMI’s and pretty charts. Here are a few choice excerpts:

In a couple of weeks my mother turns 65.

She takes yoga and Zumba every chance she gets and if you sneeze more than twice around her, she’ll cook you a pot of collard greens. My mother believes her collard greens can fix just about anything.

She has a fiery personality that can rub people the wrong way. But those who know her don’t mind, because it was that same fire that helped her overcome poverty, beat cancer and protect her five cubs.

My mother is a black woman.

And she is beautiful.

So to the editors of Psychology Today who thought it was a good idea to post a blog item calling black women ugly, I suggest you watch your back… my mother’s cubs are looking for you.

And we are not happy.

WE LOVE IT!!! Get ’em LZ…

Fortunately he doesn’t stop there. He continues by attacking the wackadoodle scientific method Satoshi used to make his bogus deductions in the first place:

It’s challenging enough to see popular culture publications such as People and Maxim struggle to include black women in their annual most-beautiful listings, but at least their editors don’t try to justify their choices under the guise of science.

“Because they have existed much longer in human evolutionary history, Africans have more mutations in their genomes than other races,” Kanazawa’s post read. “And the mutation loads significantly decrease physical attractiveness…”

I question a methodology that asks random people to judge the attractiveness of other random people without taking into account the influence of background and culture. Without taking into account a Westernized standard of beauty that has not only haunted some black women into buying cream to bleach their skin but prompted some Asian-Americans to undergo surgery to make their eyes more European looking.

That’s not to say white skin or round eyes are necessarily unattractive. Rather, a system that declares one set of physical attributes as the standard to which a multiethnic society must adhere is destructive.

And racist.

And there you have it… What we’ve been saying all along. That isht was racist as THE FAWK!!!

Even better, LZ goes on to question not just what is wrong with Satoshi and his bullshizzle — but also a larger problem:

And yet as much as I detest Kanazawa’s post, I do recognize it as just another chapter in the ongoing assault on black women in our culture.

He says they’re ugly.

The statistics say 42% have never been married.

Some rappers say, well, we know what they say… and apparently we don’t mind, because they keep topping the charts.

If you comb through Donald Bogle’s book “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films,” you’ll find a long celluloid history of black women being portrayed as anything but beautiful. Their sass is a constant source of comedic relief, but rarely are they seen as complete human beings, to be romanced or capable of being vulnerable.

Nowadays the most popular black female characters in film are not even played by black women. Tyler Perry’s “Madea” and Martin Lawrence’s “Big Momma” characters are unflattering caricatures of figureheads who for generations on top of generations held the black community together.

Funny, maybe.

Fair, definitely not.

More than two in three blacks in enrolled college are women. Three of four blacks in graduate school are women. It’s a free country and film makers can say whatever they want. I’m just not sure why it’s so hard to make a sequel about that. The First Amendment gives us the freedom to say whatever we want. But it doesn’t say that we should.

See — we knew Tyler Perry was part of the problem!

And the best part of this essay at all is that Granderson is not only man enough, but BLACK MAN enough to stand up and say — if anyone should be defending black women and the way they’re portrayed in society, it should be the black man:

Because of the long history of the deconstruction, Kanazawa’s post, while tasteless and disgusting, is an attack black women can easily brush aside — been there, heard that. But it does provide an opportunity for real talk within the black community and for recognizing that the wounds that hurt the most don’t come from enemy lines but friendly fire. It comes from black men who know enough to respect the black women who are their mothers but not the black women who are their lovers. They fail to see the disconnect.

I’m not suggesting black women are absolved of any responsibility in how they are portrayed in the media. I’m also not suggesting that every black woman is looking for a black man in the first place. But certainly black men play a significant role in the way black women are perceived. Black men help create the environment in which a blog like Kanazawa’s can be written.

We are the ones who use black women as shields because we lack the will to be disciplined, integrity to accept responsibility, or, for a small number of us, even have the courage to embrace our own sexuality.

The down-low isn’t just about the impact homophobia has on black men; it’s also about the selfish disregard these black men have for another person’s life. In that, I see little difference between that and the black men who refuse to help raise the kids they father or resort to domestic violence.

The truth is Kanazawa’s post doesn’t hold a candle to the amount of damage black men continue to do to the image of black women ourselves.

That doesn’t mean not choosing one as a spouse is an automatic slap to the face. Black men are free to date and marry whomever they want, just like everybody else.

Heck, I haven’t slept with a woman of any color in years because, well, I’m gay. But my sexual orientation doesn’t prevent me from simply showing respect for what continues to be the backbone of my community. Women like my mother. My sisters. My aunts, cousins, friends … the sisters who retwist my locks, fight for equal rights, usher in church or go to work every day in a society where a publication like Psychology Today thinks it’s OK to call black women ugly.

We never thought about how this topic held any bearing on the “downlow phenomenon” before but Granderson makes an interesting point.

What do you think of his words? Do you agree? For the black men out there — do you think you show a proper amount of respect your female counterparts? Black women, do you think black men bear some of the responsibility for the theories Kanazawa and people like him put forth?

@Black Majic-I didn’t know lice lived in weaves, or hair that only gets washed once a week?! Perhaps that’s why your precious black women don’t get lice. I personally don’t know anyone, Black, White, Asian or Hispanic who has ever had lice. C’mon out the projects and hang out with civilized people, and you won’t have to worry about lice either!

Fear of a Black Nation

Good that hes coming to the defense of black women,to bad hes gay and his words arent credible

QuestionsBeforeActions

How in the world does that discredit what he wrote?

Fear of a Black Nation

Well hes gay,so he thinks he is a woman,so he thinks hes a black woman,so he feels hes an attractive black woman,its kind of like making out with you cousin then saying you kissed a guy,its wrong and doesnt count

Mic

Fear of a Black Nation, your ignorance, homophobia, and general level of self hate is EPIC!!! You don’t know what you are talking about. Unless you are gay you don’t have a right to say what a gay person thinks, feels, or how they see themselves. You are only about hate!!! Hate is you m.o.!

it is what it mofo is

the comments on here are ok, but i’d rather give a mofo point of view on askamofo.com a “pro black women website.”

Uhh Yeah Ok™

BOOYAH! The cubs have grown into LIONS. Rawr!

uhmok

This would be more interesting had someone OTHER than a black man written it.

Brooklyn

I agree

#justsayin

APPLAUSE for this article, whether he’s gay or not. he’s a black man first and foremost.

#justsayin

Sysy

Yes applause for the article, but BOOO for you!! We don’t need anyone else to write this article than a black man, gay or straight! We don’t need anyone’s validation.

http://bossip london

Thank you brother ! It’s always good to see brothers supporting sisters and vice verse.

Alice

How can this guy even talk? Gay black men run more after white boys than even the asian men do. Dont believe me? Google it…its everywhere on the net. They all want a little justin bieber. I actually laughed my ars of when i saw that on the wep.

Alice

How can this guy even talk? Gay black men run more after white boys than even the asian men do. Dont believe me? Google it…its everywhere on the net. They all want a little justin bieber. I actually laughed my ars of when i saw that on the wep..

Fear of a Black Nation

The reason black women dont have a good rep,is because the more attractive black women arent considered black by black women,unless if benefits all black women….if a chick is half black,and she dates white guys,shes a saleout and not considered black,but when Halle won the oscar and was getting cheated on by Eric Benet she was black,now shes a saleout and half white

http://bossip snagem

First let me say, I don’t consider everyone claiming black to be black. I look at some of these people and think black… really ??
Now as far as your comment, it goes both ways. When they are catering to white folks, or want to claim latina etc…they aren’t black, but when they aren’t accepted..it’s i’m black. So don’t just call out black folks. To me black is dark brown, to light skin. I don’t even consider half and half black. Nothing wrong with biracial, but it’s not black, nor white. It is what it is. You have to be 75-85 % in my book. Obama biracial. His kids black 75 % plus deep african roots. Halle, biracial her daughter white 75%. Nick & mariah kids 75 % black !

Thickykins, LOL!

Your post is ignorant. The more attractive black women are mixed?! Your thinking is exactly what fueled Satoshi to write that article! Youre perpetuating another stereotype: All black women hate on lighter-skinned or mixed black women. I would go deeper into this argument, but you probably wouldn’t understand. Please go back to school, learn how to spell SELLOUT, and then try to dig into your brain for something intelligent to add.

kina

Exactly, why it gotta be the more attractive ones are half white?LOL At the end of the day BY WHITES halle berry is still considered black no matter how many white men she dates. Lighterskinned females are always going to be more popular in the media,for the simple fact that white people have set the standards of beauty, and the closer you are to that beauty, the more similar, the more familiar, the more welcoming. But this study was on AFRICAN AMERICANS idk where all this light skinned dark skinned stuff came from, bc it said ALL african american women were less attractive…All I gotta say is, it sure is fun being ugly!

Well

Why so many negative comments?!! Sexual orientation has nothing to do with this. This is a written article and I appreciate it.

geemoenettie

The reason his sexuality comes into play is because we all can see that even HE don’t want us.

Well

I guess my comment didn’t show up but his sexuality has nothing to do with this. I wish people weren’t so simple minded smh. Beautiful written article!

Well

I guess my comment didn’t show up but his sexuality has nothing to do with this. I wish people weren’t so simple minded smh. Beautiful written article! I appreciate it..

JaZzIe91

He made some great points. And so what he’s gay. He’s taking up for his black community. Thats all that matters.

Keep it Real

This Gay man took the easiest path. Maybe that’s because not only doesn’t he find black women attractive, he doesn’t find any women attractive. If he did, he’d be dating them. So to then place the almost all the blame for black women inability to attract and marry a man is disingenuous, at best. Dude, if you’re so concerned. Go date and marry a black woman. Otherwise do not question others preference if you don’t want others questioning your preference.

He talks about 42% of black women will never marry but doesn’t address, why. He doesn’t address the fact that all men find women who are baby mamma’s less attractive but he talks of men abandoning their kids. How about the fact that pregnancy is 100% preventable with female contraceptives. All women of every race in the industrialize world have embraced female contraceptives except black American women. He say he loves the fiery personality of his mamma. Well must men have learned to love any type of personality of their mother, but guess what. That doesn’t mean we want that in our mate. Then he didn’t address the number #1 complaint of black men. Black women are just too fat. The average black woman is 5’5 185PLUS (most are a lot bigger) That’s not the ideal preference weight that most men including BLACK men have for women. I believe black women can compete with women of any race but not if they are overweight, combative/aggressive/unfeminine and have multiple kids.

http://bossip jimmy

Daywalker I would believe you felt like that if you didn’t have a fat a.s.s. women in your avatar. If that isn’t a big African booty, spread across the board I don’t know what is. A women her size is considered fat. At this point you are coming across as a hypocrite. No man wants a fat women, but you have a size 22 in your avatar ! I don’t like big women, and yes I like a nice big butt/chest & skinny women as well, but I do know plenty of guys who like big fat women. All my skinny as hell friends like big women !

http://bossip jimmy

Besides I see big fat stankin white women every where I turn. Why play like sisters are the only ones who come in FAT ! Shame, shame, shame black people !

Uhh Yeah Ok™

Really Daywalker? You’re dating her? I should congratulate her on MODEL MAYHAME where her profile is for dating a MEGA Donkey Douche D!ck like you.

imjustsayin

will we ever learn not to generalize? It’s crazy that Daywalker know’s her height, weight and dress size, lol. WOW. lol. Everyone has standard *shrugs*

arny

From Hontas Farmer’s Article on Science20.com: “You asked why he did not write about Asian men? The reason is because he is an Asian man. He would be emotionally invested in it. Scientist try to avoid thinking about these subjects with their emotions.
If he wrote about Asian men he would end up defensively trying to argue why they should be the hottest men in the world instead of accepting that people don’t see them that way”.

Soul Touch

My sisters, stop looking at ‘others’ to validate you.

Good night.

anewme

Best statement by far! 🙂

Soul Touch

Ahhh…of course YOU would be here…considering how obsessed you are with (dark) black women.

Jealous much?

Samira

What is wrong with some of you. A black man defends black women and all you can do is dismiss him on his sexuality?

Great article. I could care less about the approval of non blacks. These same people try to tan, curl up their hair, try to get “thick”, bastardize our music and culture, and were ugly?

Ninja please.

http://bossip diane

lol@ Daywalker being put on blast. He made a comment up top about black women being fat, and was called out on the “fat a.s.s. women in his avatar lmfao !!!

http://bossip diane

I know, I know, she’s big boned/thick. Theres a difference ( side-eye )When you size her up she is about a size 18-20 !

JaZzIe91

They some wifi gangsters. Keyboard pounders. I bet all the people who leave these racist comments wouldn’t dare say anything crazy to a group of black people in real life. They know whats up. So they come on here to vent and I guess this is their escapism from the real world.

“More than two in three blacks in enrolled college are women. Three of four blacks in graduate school are women. It’s a free country and film makers can say whatever they want. I’m just not sure why it’s so hard to make a sequel about that. The First Amendment gives us the freedom to say whatever we want. But it doesn’t say that we should”
AND BIANCA GOT LICE, SHE’S A
C
U
N
T

Uhh Yeah Ok™

Why are women in a fantasy competition for some men anyways? Either you like the INDIVIDUAL or not and keep it moving >>>>> EXIT.

Men I tell ya…

blackscome1st

THANKS BRO FOR HAVING OUR BACK, NICE TO SEE SOME BROTHERS OUT THERE REPRESENTING FOR US.
BIANCA, I CAN PUT SOME MONEY AROUND YO MOUTH BET YOU WON’T STEP UP TO NO BLACK FEMALES…YOU ALREADY KNOW THEY WILL KING KONG ON THAT A*Z.